Next Week, The New York Times Has a Tetris Surprise

Congratulations are in order for Kotaku reader Caleb, who wrote a crossword puzzle that the New York Times will be publishing next Thursday, October 25. What’s cool about Caleb’s puzzle is that he didn’t take the easy route and just submit game-related questions. I’ll let him explain: All of the black squares in the grid…

Judge Dredd Explains Why Most Video Game Movies Aren’t Up To Scratch

Karl Urban knows a thing or two about movies based on video games. He’s been in one. He’s also been in Lord of the Rings (above), Star Trek, The Bourne Supremacy and now Judge Dredd Given that Karl Urban starred in the not-quite-as-bad-as-other-game-to-movie-conversions-but-still-quite-bad Doom, we figured he might have a rough idea why filmmakers have…

Minecraft Meets Slender in This Dark, Creepy Mod

I know, you’re likely sick of Minecraft by now, and probably of Slender as well, but this combination of the two might light a fire under you. Or at least convince you to watch it for two minutes. It’s of a Minecraft mod called Slender’s Forest, which is recreating the basic gist of Slender: The…

Turns Out Princess Peach’s Parents Are Kinda Racist

Peach may love Mario, but as this clip from Robot Chicken shows, her parents are a little less enamoured by the Mushroom Kingdom’s saviour. And who can blame them! They’re royalty, he’s a plumber. Dude really needs to wear a suit. And do a better job of keeping his drug habit at bay.

Tsk Tsk Tsk, And I Bet He Wasn’t Even Insured

Edvige Faini is an Italian artist with so many skills, and noted employers, that it’s tough to know where to start. Having recently been at social games developer Dreamfire Games, Faini now works at Hollywood production house The Aaron Sims Company, where she’s providing art for some of 2013 (and beyond’s) biggest movies. She’s also…

Yup, There’s Now Some Zelda and Mario in Your Scribblenauts

As your best guesses and Photoshop efforts had already worked out, the upcoming Scribblenauts Unlimited will feature cameos from some of Nintendo’s biggest stars, including Mario, Link, Zelda and Luigi. Weirdly, these characters will only be available in the Wii U version of the game, not the 3DS edition. And what’s more, you won’t be…

In addition to a new champion, League of Legends also got itself a “new” map today

A College History Class About Video Games? Sign Me Up.

I have a history degree from the Australian National University. Earned through books, and papers. I used to be totally OK with that, until today, when I see that history students at the University of South Carolina have it way better. Prof. Joseph November is running a class next year called Computer Games and History.…

This is What a Lot of the Internet Looks Like

When people say the internet is just a series of tubes, they’re not too far from the truth. It’s made up of tubes, cables and data centres, which have to sit in enormous, industrial buildings. Like the monstrous ones internet monolith Google makes use of. These stunning pictures posted by the search and advertising giant…

Let’s Get Trapped In The Closet All Over Again

Sure, R Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet is already a magnum opus. I’ve watched (I think?) all of the episodes so far, and have marveled at their bizarre genius. But hey, we can always have more, right? After announcing that he is preparing to debut 20 (!!) more episodes of the saga, R. Kelly went…

A Son Takes His Father on a Tour of His Boyhood Home—in a Video Game

When you introduce a video game to an older relative who doesn’t play them—a parent or a grandparent—and they realize they’ve underestimated how detailed, how immersive these things really are, the conversations you have after that really are special. If this hasn’t happened for you, ask anyone for whom it has. Or better yet, just…

Cobra’s Elite Makes the Miniature Red Leather Jacket Look Good

They are an elite fighting force led by a pair of twins that feel each other’s pain. They are the Imperial Guards of Cobra. They wear red leather, not caring that the 80’s were three decades ago. They are the Crimson Guard, the latest in the sixth scale line of G.I. Joe figures, and they…

If You’re Streaming a Game Online, Don’t Start Jerking Off on Camera, OK?

Poor Slooshi. The League of Legends player was livestreaming one of his rounds earlier today when, in a fit of boredom, he decided to alt+tab and do something else. Like, uh, go watch some porn. And knock one off. In a scenario that makes your standard “go to high school naked” nightmare seem like a…

After three years on the drawing board, Elise the Spider Queen finally joins the roster of League of Legends champions

Congratulations, Ash, You Finally Caught Them All

Nice to see Dan Hipp back in the saddle, brightening up our day with amazing video game art. This time around, it’s a Pokémon piece, showing what happens when Ash finally gets around to catching them all. It’s…well, he’s entitled to celebrate it however he wants. This just isn’t quite how I pictured it. Wish…

Lightbox Interactive, the studio behind Starhawk, has shed some employees as it moves from the PS3 to iOS development.

Having Gone Six Years Without Saying Anything Offensive, Steve Lyons Gets a Job in MLB The Show‘s Booth

Steve Lyons, whose 15-year broadcasting career is dotted with numerous insensitive remarks—one of them enough to get him fired—is taking a seat in a more controlled environment: MLB 13 The Show. As reported by Operation Sports, Lyons said via Twitter at the end of last month that he was recording “lots of VoiceOver work for…

An eagle-eyed NeoGAFer has noticed new Borderlands 2 trophies for DLC called “Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage.”

Forza Horizon: The Kotaku Review

Forza Horizon coined a new term for itself, more out of self-defense than to describe its creative goals. “Action racer,” we were told at E3, because another racing genre known by the A-word would be a scarlet letter on a motorsports brand as precise as Forza. Arcade racer, action racer, either term is accurate to…

Midweek Moneysaver: BFG and BFDs.

This Wednesday edition of Kotaku’s The Moneysaver catches all the offers, promotions and bargains that can’t wait until the weekend. The Midweek Moneysaver is brought to you by Dealzon. Software • Yesterday’s release Doom 3: BFG Edition (PC download) is $24 from Green Man Gaming. List price is $30. [Dealzon] • Yesterday’s release Borderlands 2…